Badin grad helps Florida State soccer win national title

Malia Berkely

Malia Berkely

Dallas Dorosy scored in the 60th minute and Badin grad Malia Berkely was part of a standout defense that helped Florida State beat North Carolina 1-0 on Sunday for the NCAA Women’s College Cup championship.

The Seminoles (20-4-3) won the NCAA title for the second time. They also won it all in 2014.

Berkely, a redshirt sophomore defender, scored a goal Friday in the Seminoles' 2-0 upset of top-ranked Stanford. She played in all 27 games this season for FSU.

At Badin, Berkely was a four-time, all-Ohio honoree who was twice named Ms. Ohio Soccer. She led the Rams to a pair of state titles.

Dorosy uncorked the winning shot as she slid to the ground in front of North Carolina defender Lotte Wubben-Moy, beating Samantha Leshnak to the near post. Dorosy one-timed a feed from Deyna Castellanos, who crossed the ball along the ground from just outside the penalty area on the right side.

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Caroline Jeffers made two saves in Florida State’s 16th shutout of the season. She dived on a dangerous loose ball in the 85th minute to preserve the lead.

North Carolina (21-4-2), a 21-time NCAA champion, was shut out for the second time all season.

The Seminoles finished the year with a nine-match unbeaten streak after a 1-0 loss at Miami on Oct. 25. They recorded their 10th win all time against North Carolina, more than any other school against the Tar Heels.

The final was the third meeting this season between the Atlantic Coast Conference rivals. North Carolina won 1-0 at Florida State on Sept. 14, and the Seminoles beat the Tar Heels 3-2 in the ACC Tournament final on Nov. 4.

Florida State completed an impressive run to the national title. In their last four games, the Seminoles eliminated the last three NCAA champions (Stanford, Penn State and Southern California) and the most accomplished program in the sport.

The Tar Heels were in the Final Four for the 28th time in the 37-year history of the tournament. They have now gone six years since their most recent NCAA title in 2012. Before this stretch, they had never gone more than two years in a row without the crown.

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